The Eritrean government, on several occasions, tried to engage with both the Bush Administration and that of Obama’s with a view to improving their relations. However, the good intentions of the Eritrean government were not reciprocated and in fact, it is commonly known that the US government has openly promoted hostile strategy against Eritrea. On the other hand, Eritrea’s effort to improve relations with neighbouring countries as well as with others in the Middle East, Far East and the West has over the years shown a significant development.

US-Eritrean relations deteriorated primarily because Washington failed to uphold its legal and moral obligation as a guarantor of the June 2000 Algiers Agreement. If the US government is serious about improving relations with Eritrea, the Obama Administration should have the humility to engage with the Eritrean government as they have done so with Iran to iron out their differences and agree to disagree in some of their policies and principles of governance.

Eritrea asks for no favours or hand-outs but for the US government to uphold the rule of law and allow the normalisation of relations between the two sisterly countries. The regime in Ethiopia has more to gain by normalising relations with Eritrea but this cannot be achieved while Ethiopia occupies sovereign Eritrean territory and rejects the Final and Binding Verdict of the EEBC.

The publication and timing of the three consecutive articles by retired State Department officials, titled “Time to Bring Eritrea in from the Cold” is a welcome development and the current policy makers at the State Department should heed their advice and change their hostile strategy so as to bring about stability to the entire region. It is in the US’s interest to give peace a chance and allow the people in the region to live in peace.

Eritrea is a civilised and a peaceful country in a volatile region, however, the US had threatened to add Eritrea to their list of “state sponsors of terrorism” for no justifiable reason. Furthermore, the US persistently tried to substitute the final and binding verdict of the EEBC with “dialogue”, and on Christmas Eve of 2009, the US designed a politically motivated, unfair and unjust sanctions to punish Eritrea by strangulating its economy.

Eritrea, while “out in the cold” in the 1950s tried to plead and peacefully protest with the UN, UK and US to be given its basic human right to self-determination but was ignored. When the Ethiopian Monarch violated a UN sponsored federation, they turned a blind eye. In 1961, the Eritrea people were forced to start a fight for their right to self-determination. This fight then became a long and protracted war that dragged on for 30 years and cost over 80,000 Eritrea lives of young men and women and many fold of Ethiopian lives.

It is no surprise there .. What the Ethiopian Government could not state it officially, their surrogates are on record laying the ground work for another invasion.

There is a long trail of historic injustices committed against the people of Eritrea. It all started when Eritrea was deliberately left “out in the cold” in the 1950s by the US government when The Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, made the following unforgettable remarks in December 1952 at the time when Eritrea was forced into an arranged underage marriage with Ethiopia:-

'’From the point of view of justice, the opinions of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless the strategic interests of the United States in the Red Sea basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that the country has to be linked with our ally, Ethiopia ''

Eritreans do not begrudge and would only be happy to let bygones be bygones. With all the unwarranted hostility, Eritrea, with the support and in partnership with other countries round the globe as well as investment from multinational companies, aspires to be self-reliant and economically independent while making poverty history in Eritrea. The Eritrean government and people in accordance with their faiths and civilised African culture wish to live in peace and harmony with their neighbours and others in the international community and if the US wishes to engage with Eritrea in order to improve relations, Eritrea welcomes US with an open mind. Once genuine Eritrea-US relations are back on track, Ethiopia will subsequently withdraw from sovereign Eritrean territory that it occupies and the process of normalisation of relations and trust between the two sisterly countries will gradually develop into a solid and mutual relationship because their common grounds significantly overweigh their differences.

Eritrea’s fundamental golden principles of self-reliance and economic and political independence as well as the promotion of social justice is deeply rooted in the people’s civilised African culture, faiths and 30 years of armed struggle for independence and the Eritrean government will not allow for this paramount principle to be corrupted or compromised because to do so is a betrayal to the over 100.000 Eritrean men and women who paid the ultimate price in achieving independence and safeguarding Eritrea’s sovereignty. The US government has persistently failed to comprehend this basic principle which comes naturally for the Eritrean government and people.

The three seasoned diplomats have hinted the possibility of a change of heart and the US wanting to reach out to Eritrea. Only time will tell if the US will amend its misguided policies and respect the sovereignty of Eritrea and the right of Eritreans to live in peace.

17 comments:

In America you really have to be mentally retarded to qualify to be a diplomat,if you have an ounce of intelligence you won't be able to join the White House.They do not think with their brain but with their bum. The only language they understand is sanctions nothing else.They are blind, confused and incoherent, fighting whoever and whatever just to get access to someone's wealthy or military base.This is the reason why we are having sanctions.They are not in a position to talk about terrorists.Who is supporting brother hood, ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and weyane? United snake's pushing the line a little bit too much. I wish someone slaps them into shape.Brainless fascist.

I admire you and appreciate your work, and I am frankly delighted that you are working for the interests of your people.However, the mother of all evil is not understanding any thing but bullying small and undeveloped countries. It shelters and supporting all terrorists likeWahhabi, salafi ,Takfiri Al Qaeda, FSA,If countries ( like the united snakes) are supporting international terrorism in any way, shape or form, they are enemies of humankind and deserve to face the sanctions. But who can punish the united snakes? Even the so-called teeth less UN is under their control.

I thinkyou watch too much TV ere and you became victim of the TV. Why you blame USAfor the failure of the dictator? As if Eritrea is the only country in the worldAmerica has to punish. How many times America think of Eritrea in a Year. Andhow many times a day you blame America every day. I wonder America was blamedfor Lampedusa tragedy. Maybe tomorrow you will blame America for not havingenough rain in Eritrea. Have you ever heard there is a word called democracywhich is the solution of most of our problem. .America is not the problem ..youand people like you are the problem who support and worship the dictator.

You are right because the Russians, Chinese, and Latinos like the Washington government very well, because they do not watch ER TV.you are very funny!!!The wikileaks exposed you naked, you can not hide nowhere. Enjoy supporting the so called Eritrean opposition hooligans waiting left over from TPLF in Menilik palace.Yes, I blame them for human trafficking aswell.

simerr2012How old are you? You need to grow up and I advice you to learn or study the world history before you start to comment about USA and others.Go back to school and study don't waste your time to compete with those who are intelligent analysts. I wish you good luck!

A good news for you.Florida state House candidate Joshua Black has made controversial remarks about US President Obama Binladen babies killer ,saying he should be hanged for war crimes.US is the only G8 or one of the 33 nation to kill its prisoners, of course most of them are blacks and Latinos.This 21century,shame on you.

If by your standard Obama is a dictator then American people gave their vote for a dictator which is democracy. I wish we had this chance to elect our own dictator democratically. If a man is in love with the woman , he should live with the woman he loves not with the woman he hates, You so called YPFDJ children of Hademti individuals from the independence war who came to EU and America when others scarified for the mother land , why you do not go and live and build the roads and dams? Why should you live in America you hate and accuse for all wrong doing in Eritrea? Of course someone has to defend the houses built by your hademti Fathers and Mothers from Weyane...funny individuals,. please tell us what we do not know ..all what you said is just cheap and doesn't make sense

How old should one be to understand dictatorship and wrong doing? Do I have to study History to understand where the mafia higdef came from? That is typical higdef when as young intelligent man challenge them ,,,kof bel kola ika..when you tell them you are educated ..they tell you loyalty not ability what they need .that is why Isayas has grade 0-6 generals who hardly read and write even Tigrina language around him. All countries even Somalia go forward and we sing poor and dream Singapore. We have a president who wastes his time to inaugurate small bridges or give order to engineers how to build them..have you ever seen the DIA had any meeting or talk with credible politicians, investors? He goes around Sudan and Gash Barka always starving the truth TV Ere behind. What a loser individual.

From your comments one can understand that you have prejudice, hatred, and stereotypical discourses about democracy ect..It might be useful and constructive if you could dialogue in a civil way. ex. you start your comment saying: "I think you watch too much TV ere and you became victim of the TV". Did you ask to Mikhael? Or you know him personnaly? Dahar benaymen metro akinka ika ke dictator tebel? Men iyu ke dictator? Men iyu zey dictator? Wey radio nay kesto selezebeleto diu? I don't even go to evaluate or guess like you are doing, i just say be RATIONAL. Natka metro geber, hangolka bebkurub selezeabi.

what about you behind simerr2012, stay away!!!! Are you not hadami? If you are convinced the government is building the Nations you need to go back and scarifies yourself there. Don't be an intelligent in the internet.We know each other very well even in the diaspora who is who. Just spent your time keeping on and begging the west remittance or serving them as a slave. If you are comparing yourself with the intelligent you would have not written this very cheap comments.

Just simply saying democracy in a vacuum where it doesn't exist on earth. Supporting the racist and criminals which are famous in every corner of the world. By the name of democracy murdering and killing innocent children and women all around the continent. Please don't full yourself. I again advice you to go school revising the history 500 years ago you will find the same issue that exists in the west. Stay away!!!!!!!

plz don't be fooled by this fool called himself "simer2012" AKA jacob among other nicks. Nothing but a woyane garbage disguised as an opposition, spreading his venom in EVERY eritrean webbsites. (Sneake on a grass). BE AWARE. !!!!!!!!

The Woyane dictator in Asmara and his DEMHIT mercenaries - have jailed so many brave and innocent fighters under his unsubstantiated claim that they were trying to side with his cousin Meles during the 1998 fiasco when in fact they were exposing his incompetence - I have been travelling to Eritrea to visit my elderly parents (5 times in the last 10 years) - and have seen zero development and he has almost succeeded in ruining the country for good - all "his development project"s are good for the day the pictures were taken to be pasted on his Eri-TV propaganda machine that has only been able to fool his foot soldiers at HGDEF - He even has the guts to blame his 3rd grade generals in charge of his projects. he plainly told them their projects failed for the last 20 years! Perhaps they do not show it to HGDEF cheerleaders and foot soldiers or it could be to complex for them to understand - it was on one of his latest useless speeches! What a shame - is he going to trade Aseb for Badme? both Eritrean territories so he can stay at the HGDEF throne? as usual his foot soldiers at HGDEF will be clapping with their feet...The USA has nothing to do with his stupidity and failure!!!You can't fix stupid!!!